We often hear tips for getting brides ready for the big day, but what about the moms? How can they look their absolute best for the wedding?
Similar to the bride, the mother of the bride (or groom) is front and center at this big event. As she gets ready to celebrate, it’s important for her to take some time to focus on herself.
This 64-year-old patient came to Dr. Simon Madorsky hoping to freshen up her features in anticipation of her daughter’s wedding, which was six months away. Despite feeling youthful and energetic, she thought her appearance didn’t quite match. This was an ideal time to embark on surgical procedures, as she needed about three months for total healing, and results would continue to improve over time.
Six months before the big day, she underwent a lower face and neck lift, along with an endoscopic brow lift. The facelift worked its magic by repositioning deep tissues and getting rid of extra skin, diminishing jowls, while adding a nice contour to the neck. The brow lift raised the forehead, and enhanced the brow and eye area.
After the wedding, this patient came back to our office for a check-in with Dr. Madorsky. Besides being amazed by how great she looked, we were excited to hear about the wedding.
“Being the mother of the bride, I had to look my absolute best. I was ready for the big day because I felt like I was beaming with joy and confidence.”
Our patient with her handsome husband on their daughter’s wedding day.
Whether you’re looking to reduce wrinkles, minimize scars, or improve overall skin texture, CO2 laser treatment could be the answer.
What Does Fractional CO2 Laser Do?
Fractional CO2 laser is a cosmetic procedure that improves skin texture, tone, and overall appearance. The laser ablates the top layer of skin removing sun damage as well as creates microscopic channels in the skin, known as microthermal zones. These processes stimulate the body’s natural healing response, which promotes collagen production and triggers the replacement of damaged skin with new, healthier tissue.
Key Benefits of Fractional CO2 Laser Treatment
- Wrinkle Reduction: especially of lower face
- Scar Improvement: acne scars and surgical scars
- Pigmentation Correction: uneven pigmentation, sunspots, and age spots
- Treats superficial sun damage
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Fractional CO2 laser is a versatile treatment suitable for patients of various ages and skin concerns. Ideal candidates include those looking to improve fine lines/wrinkles, scarring, and/or dark spots. It is safest for patients with lighter skin tones (Fitzpatrick I-III).
The Procedure
A fractional CO2 laser procedure can be performed in the clinic or operating room. Here’s what you can expect during the treatment:
- Consultation: Before the procedure, you will have a consultation with a qualified practitioner to discuss your concerns, assess your skin, and determine if fractional CO2 laser is the right option for you.
- Day of Treatment: Topical Anesthesia: a topical anesthetic is applied to the treatment area to minimize discomfort
- Pre-Medication: Your clinician may prescribe some medications to make the process more relaxing and comfortable.
- Nerve Blocks: You may receive lidocaine injections to further numb the sensitive areas of treatment
The laser treatment is customized based on skin, treatment areas, and goals. The laser can also be performed in the OR setting and combined with additional facial rejuvenation procedures such as eyelid surgery or facelift surgery.
Recovery Process
- Immediate Recovery: The treated area will likely be red and swollen after the procedure. It may feel similar to a bad sunburn.
- Peeling and Flaking: Over the next few days, the skin will begin to peel and flake as the damaged outer layers are replaced with fresh, new skin. It’s important to avoid picking at the skin to prevent scarring.
- Sun Protection: Protecting your skin from sun exposure is crucial during the recovery period. Sun exposure may lead to increased hyperpigmentation.
- Total recovery time depends on intensity of treatment
Please contact the Appearance Center to consult with a qualified practitioner.
Not only are we wrapping up the summer, but September is Skin Care Awareness Month. We of course remind you to remain vigilant about sunscreen, but we also want to help you to start taking even better care of your skin with some of our in-office procedures.
Here are our three favorite ways to improve skin texture and appearance, from least to most invasive:
PEEL
Indications: Pigmentation, active acne, sun-damaged skin, fine lines and wrinkles.
How it works: Chemicals penetrate layers of the skin and promote rapid cell turnover and collagen synthesis. It also clears dead skin cells and oils. This helps create brighter, more even, and smoother skin. Select ingredients also work to reduce dark spots or treat active acne lesions. Best results are achieved with a series of peels.
Recovery: You will likely have significant peeling, especially 3-4 days after the peel. Most peeling resolves by about a week.
Cost: Varies by area, $
MICRONEEDLING
Indications: Acne scarring, surgical scars, loss of collagen from aging.
How it works: Small needles puncture the superficial layers of the skin, inducing collagen and elastin production. This results in brighter, tighter, and younger looking skin. A growth factor serum is simultaneously infused into the skin punctures, enhancing collagen production.
Recovery: For the first week you will experience redness. Avoid sun exposure for one week after treatment.
Cost: Varies by area, $
FRACTIONAL CO2 LASER
Indications: Sun-damaged skin, fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars, lighter skin tones.
How it works: Fractional CO2 laser creates micro punctures in the skin while also delivering thermal energy. This removes damaged tissue and stimulates tissue shrinkage while inducing collagen production. Collagen remodeling continues for 3-6 months. Best for lighter skin types not prone to dark spots.
Recovery: This will depend on how aggressive your treatment is. You could have redness for up to a month during healing. Depending on your healing, you may be able to wear makeup after 1 week.
Cost: Varies by area, $$ – $$$
Please schedule a consultation so we can assess the best procedures for you!
Fine lines, wrinkles, loose skin, and other signs of aging are perfectly natural, and many of us reach a point where we want to “do something.” But what does that mean? After looking into the options, you may be asking, “should I choose fillers or surgery?’
We turn to two of our top physicians with this question.
Simon Madorsky, MD is a Facial Plastic Surgeon.
“Judicious use of filler can really enhance natural features,” assures Dr. Madorsky, “but over time, there can be limited results, as well as a necessity for repeated procedures. They have their place, but cannot replace surgery. They will not remove extra skin or extra fatty tissue.”
“Fillers can be overdone. We are seeing something I call Filler Fatigue. People are getting over-filled and often look unnatural.”
The ideal candidate for facial fillers is someone who has minor to moderate signs of aging on their face. These candidates are usually between 30 and 55, since older people may have significantly loosened skin and the presence of other things like bags under their eyes and jowls, which will not respond well to filler injections.
The ideal candidate for surgery, such as a blepharoplasty or facelift, is someone who has more advanced signs of aging in the face and neck. A surgical procedure can address many more issues than facial filler can. That said, candidates still need to be in good enough overall health to undergo surgery and will need adequate support and downtime to recover from the procedure.
This patient underwent blepharoblasty (evelid surgery). She was advised her that iniectables would have a limited and temporary impact.
Choosing Both Options
Some patients use fillers as a way to “try on” a new face and to helo them decide whether they want to move forward with surgical procedures.
One example of this is the “liquid rhinoplasty,” where the shape of the nose is changed with filler, albeit temporarily. There are also subtle enhancements to the eye area and jawline that can be made with filler and Botox, but don’t have the longevity of a surgical procedure. This is an option worth considering when you talk with your provider.
Congratulations to Dr. Adam Aronson and Dr. Alexander Miller for being named America’s Best Dermatologists 2023 by Newsweek.
We are honored to have two of our physicians receive this great recognition, and proud of the incredible care they provide to our patients.
The list is split by cosmetic and medical dermatologists. In total, 150 cosmetic dermatologists and 175 medical dermatologists were awarded and some (including Dr. Aronson!!) were awarded in both specialties.
Don’t let the fear of anesthesia hold you back from achieving your desired appearance.
Our patients now have the option for an alternative to general anesthesia known as Gentle Sleep. Instead of deep anesthesia, it induces stage 2 sleep, and when used in combination with other medications, it achieves a comfortable state for patients. We are now using it routinely at our on-site surgery center.
During Gentle Sleep, patients may cough, reposition themselves, and breathe without assistance. This is a more normal state for patients than deep sedation or general anesthesia.
“It has been a real game changer for our practice,” says Dr. Simon Madorsky. “Gentle Sleep is so well tolerated by patients, that it allows the surgeon to take time needed for superb results without pressure to rush.”
It is especially revolutionary for our older patients and those with certain health conditions. When it comes to cosmetic–or elective–surgery, some of these patients are not good candidates for general anesthesia. This is often a barrier for them to have these procedures. With gentle sleep, this barrier disappears.
Watch this video to learn more.
The fractional CO2 laser creates tiny “columns of thermal destruction” in the skin that stimulate the growth of new, healthy skin cells to replace old, damaged cells. This procedure treats wrinkles, discoloration, sun damage, age spots, and acne scars. Instead of removing skin layers with chemicals, the CO2 laser removes skin layers by vaporization.
During your treatment, one of our physicians will apply the Fractional CO2 laser to the area chosen for resurfacing. The laser will eliminate surface damage, while concurrently heating the underlying tissue, causing it to increase collagen production. Depending on the scope of the treatment area, your laser session may take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.
WHAT DOES THE CO2 LASER TREAT?
The Fractional CO2 laser is used to address a wide range of skin conditions, including:
- Fine lines (including around the eyes)
- Deeper wrinkles around the forehead, mouth, or nose
- Sun damaged skin
- Acne scars
- Hyperpigmentation
In addition, the Fractional CO2 laser can be used to treat other visible areas of the body, such as the neck, chest, or hands.
BEFORE & AFTER IMAGES
Spring has sprung, and you realize it is only weeks until that highly-anticipated wedding, reunion, or vacation. Is it too late, you wonder, for some type of cosmetic procedure to look your best?
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to boost your appearance—and self-confidence—that don’t require a huge downtime. If you plan far enough ahead, you can time your procedures to maximize your results by a specific date. Consulting with a specialist can help you determine what you want, need, and have time for.
Some “Quick Fixes” to Consider
Fortunately there are many effective nonsurgical options that require minimal downtime. These procedures include:
- Botox or Dysport to smooth wrinkles on the face, including forehead lines and crow’s feet. (There is little to no downtime, bruising is unlikely but possible. Results can be seen in as little as a week.) DO THIS AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE AN EVENT.
- Dermal Fillers to plump lips, enhance shallow contours, enhance facial volume, or smooth wrinkles. (Generally, recovery is 2-7 days. Results are immediate but final results are seen in 10-14 days, after possible swelling resolves.) DO THIS AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE AN EVENT.
- Chemical Peels to smooth and brighten skin, minimize pigmentation and address acne scars or fine lines and wrinkles. We offer the TCA and VI Peels. (Healing varies depending on the type and strength of the peel. VI Peel: peeling lasts around a week. TCA peel: takes 1-2 weeks to heal.) DO THIS AT LEAST 3-4 WEEKS BEFORE AN EVENT.
- Microneedling to improve appearance and texture of the skin, minimize acne scars. (Healing takes about 3-5 days; skin texture improves over weeks to months.) DO THIS AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE AN EVENT.
- CO2 Laser Resurfacing to rejuvenate wrinkles, sun-damaged skin, and remove age spots and other blemishes. (Healing time for laser resurfacing varies, depending on the depth/intensity of the laser. Approximately 1-2 weeks of recovery time. Full results seen at 3-6 months.) DO THIS AT LEAST 6 WEEKS BEFORE AN EVENT.
Call us to schedule a consultation!! 949.200.1615
We have just published our first-ever print newsletter to showcase some of our favorite procedures and patients. You can take a look below!
A sculpted jawline creates definition, balance, and confidence. For men, a strong jawline enhances masculine structure. For women, refined lower-face contour restores youthful elegance.
At Appearance Center, we offer advanced non-surgical jawline filler in Newport Beach and Yorba Linda using the latest FDA-approved products from Allergan Aesthetics.
Our most requested treatment for lower-face contouring is JUVÉDERM VOLUX XC, a hyaluronic acid filler specifically designed to enhance the chin and jawline.
What Is Jawline Filler?
Jawline filler is a non-surgical injectable treatment that adds structure and definition to the lower face. Using hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers, we can:
- Improve jawline definition
- Create sharper angles
- Strengthen a recessed chin
- Reduce early jowling
- Improve facial symmetry
- Restore age-related volume loss
Results are immediate and continue to refine as mild swelling resolves.
What Makes JUVÉDERM VOLUX XC Different?
JUVÉDERM VOLUX XC is the first and only filler specifically FDA-approved for improving moderate to severe loss of jawline definition in adults over 21.
Compared to other fillers, VOLUX:
- Has a thicker, more cohesive gel
- Provides stronger structural lift
- Is formulated for lower-face contouring
- Lasts approximately 12–18 months
This makes it ideal for patients seeking longer-lasting jawline definition without surgery.
VOLUX vs. VOLUMA: Which Is Better for Jawline Contouring?
Patients often ask about the difference between VOLUX and JUVÉDERM VOLUMA XC.
VOLUX
✔ Designed for chin and jawline
✔ More structured and firm
✔ Ideal for sharper definition
VOLUMA
✔ Designed for cheeks and midface lift
✔ Slightly softer consistency
✔ Enhances facial balance
At Appearance Center, we often combine both to create full-face harmony and natural contour.
How Long Does Jawline Filler Last?
VOLUX typically lasts 12 to 18 months, depending on:
- Metabolism
- Injection technique
- Amount of product used
- Individual facial movement
Maintenance treatments help preserve long-term results.
What to Expect During Jawline Filler Treatment
At Appearance Center in Newport Beach and Yorba Linda:
- Treatment takes approximately 30–45 minutes
- Numbing is used for comfort
- Mild swelling may occur and improves within 48 hours
- Results are visible immediately
Most patients return to normal activities the same day.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Jawline Filler?
You may be a candidate if you:
- Are over age 21
- Notice loss of jawline definition
- Have a weak chin or lower-face structure
- Want non-surgical jawline enhancement
- Prefer long-lasting but reversible results
During your consultation, our expert injectors assess facial proportions to develop a customized plan.
Why Choose Appearance Center for Jawline Filler?
Appearance Center is recognized throughout Orange County for:
- Advanced facial balancing techniques
- Expertise in structural filler placement
- Conservative, natural-looking results
- Customized aesthetic treatment plans
We focus on refinement and proportion — never overfilling — to ensure elegant, balanced outcomes.
Jawline Filler in Newport Beach & Yorba Linda
If you are searching for:
- Jawline filler Newport Beach
- Jawline filler Yorba Linda
- VOLUX filler near me
- Non-surgical jawline contouring Orange County
Our team at Appearance Center can help you achieve sculpted, natural-looking results.
Schedule your consultation at our Newport Beach or Yorba Linda location to learn whether VOLUX or a customized filler plan is right for you.
A lip lift is a surgical procedure that shortens the space between the nose and the top of the lip. This increases the amount of pink lip tissue that’s visible, which makes the lips look fuller and more pronounced. It can also increase how much your upper center teeth show when your lips are resting. It leaves a small scar at the base of the nostrils, but it is usually undetectable after a few weeks.
It’s a good option for people who want to add height instead of volume to their lips. Younger people who haven’t achieved the look they want from fillers, or if they find that fillers make their lips look unnaturally plump or duck-like, may prefer a lip lift.
And a lip lift is a good option for reducing the space between the lips and the nose. With age, this space can increase and can make the upper lip look thinner.
Are you looking for a “snatched” jawline? Are you tired of pushing yourself at the gym but still seeing no changes to your double chin? You are not alone! A stubborn double chin or sometimes called extra submental fat may not be your fault.
Age, genetics, and lifestyle (i.e. diet and exercise) influence the size and stubbornness of a double chin. Achieving a tight and defined jawline depends on several factors including our chin position, amount of
submental fat, and neck skin sagging.
The Youthful Neck
A youthful neckline conveys a sense of health, confidence, and attractiveness. We associate a beautiful neckline with a strong chin and jawline that creates a natural and defined transition from the jaw to the neck.
Understanding the Double Chin
Not all double chins are the same. The double chin seen in younger patients (ages 20-30s) with fullness below the chin is typically due to stubborn, excess fat just below the level of the skin (i.e. pre-platysma fat). These individuals are great candidates for less invasive treatments such as fat dissolvers (i.e. Kybella), Submental Liposuction, and occasionally Isolated Deep Neck Contouring.
Sometimes, these individuals also have a smaller, weaker chin, which makes the “double chin” even more noticeable. For these patients, I like to augment the chin with either filler or a more permanent solution such as a chin implant.
If you’re struggling with a “double chin” but none of this applies to you, don’t worry! We’re only scratching the surface of double chins on this blog. Stay tuned for our next blog where I’ll discuss more advanced treatment options.